Speedometer.



R. H. MANSON.

SPEEDOMETER. APPLICATION IILED DEG. 26, 1913.

Patented Jan, 19, 1915.

. IN VEN TOR.

H1@ ATToR a RAY H. MANSON, OF ELYRIA, OHIO,

COMPANY, OF ELYRIA,

.ASSIGNOR TO VTHE GAR-FORD MANUFACTURING OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SPEEDOMETER.

Application med December 2e, 1913.

ful Improvements in Speedometers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention disclosed in this application I regard an improvement over that of my application No. 725,422, filed Oct. 12, 1912.

In general, the invention of the present application relates to speedometers or speed indicating devices, which .are especially adapted for use upon moving vehicles, such as automobiles, motor trucks and the like, and relates more especially to the means for transmitting the movement from the speed operated device to the speed indicating means.

While I have illustrated my present invention in connection with the invention shown in my said former application, it will readily be understood that some, if not all, of its features can be applied to any form of speedometer.

One of the objects of the invention of the present application is the simplification of c the parts employed in the system for transmitting movement from the speed controlled devices tothe indicatin features, whereby the apparatus is simplied and cheapened, eliminating parts and operations in the processes of manufacture. Themore particular object of the elimination of these parts is the elimination of diiiculties encountered in starting the indicating features from zero, which difficulties result largely from the stiffness and loss of motion encountered in the employment of a number of parts. en few parts are used, and especially in the combination of parts as employed in my invention, the adjustment is close and responds quickly and accurately tothe centrifugal motion produced at low speed.

Owing to the fact that the devices must be adjusted to take care of the centrifugal force at high speeds, which will be great at that time, themovement of the' parts in re- Y specification of Letters Patent.

'easily at low speeds,

` tion.

l Patented Jan. i9, TM5. serial No. 808,686.

sponse to low speeds is very slight, and un-A less there is a close adjustment and a ready response, there will be no or inaccurate indications at low speed, an objection to most of the present types of speedometers. By my invention I am able to start from zero and to accurately register the speeds all along the route.

y my invention I am also enabled to rotate the speed indicating features in the same direction as the member rotated by the apparatus whose speed is to be measured. By thls arrangement the bearing friction is not opposed to the change which results from changes of speed,

change of speed to overcome the friction resulting from tl1e'in.

crease in speed of the rotated member, thus realizing a constant or substantially conetant frictional response. The windage created by the rotating parts also assists 1n bringing about the change in the speed indicating features, so that they respond readlly and quickly to any changes in the rate of rotation of the rotating member. I ma also so construct and arrange the parts that advantage may be taken of the windage of the driven members.

may also construct the indicating features of relatively massive parts,-so that they will not respond to the jarring of the vehicle owing to the roughness of the road, or for other reasons, or to sudden and unauthorized changes in the speed of the vehicle. The scale will thus be steady and easy to read and not constantly vibrating and unsettled. v

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will probably be better understood from a description of a particular embodiment.

Figure l is a sectional view of an embodithe parts in elevation. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the more essential parts of my inven` Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of Fig. 4 is a the speed indicating features.

Fig. 1, showsection through the line .1 -L of ing the balls in elevation.

' Referring now to the drawings and to the embodiment of my invention illustrated therein, at 5 is shown a member which is rotated by the apparatus whose speed is to nos " suitable means,

be measured, such as an automobile wheel. This member is provided with sultable means for rotating the speedometer shaft 6. In the orm shown, threads 7 are illustrated upon t is shaft which engage corres onding threads upon the odometer .sha ,.5.. The shaft 6 is set in a suitable bear1ng,s uch as 8 and may rotate upon ball-bearings shown at 9. Suitable means, showny at 10, is provided for adjusting the shaft 6. The bearing is inclosed within ahollow. supporting member 11 and fastened therein by any suclrasby threads 12.

A rotating member 13 is* mounted upon the shaft 6, here shown as provided with a plurality of channels 14, in which balls 15 are inclosed. The channels are. shown Aas at right angles to each other yand as being perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the member 13, so that the balls in the channels move back and forth according to the rate ofrotation of the member 13, being carried outward by the centrifugal force and returned by suitable means, which may be or include the weight ofjthe parts;

Means are provided for converting the rotary motion of the member 13 into linear motion proportional thereto, which means, in the form shown, includes the balls above described, and a cup-shaped member 16,-

which fits over the member 13 and the balls 15, Ithe balls 15 engaging the bottom of this cup-shaped member when they are moved outward and elevating it as they movel outward.

A shaft, here shown as a hollow shaft, 17, is provided for the cup-shaped member and iits in a In the form shown, this is an axial bore. The hollow shaft 17 is provided with a bearing 19 in the bottom thereof in which a bearing, A device, such as a shaft 21, leads from the ball-bearing and supports onel of the indicating features 22,'here `shown as a cup member fitting down over the member 16 and carrying a scale 23 which is here shown as a spiral scale, for a reason to be described.

The shaft 21 continues being held at' its upper end 24 `in a bearing 25' formed in a bracket 26, which is connected lby suitable means, such as screws 27 to a frame 28 supported from the support 11. 4

A member 30 is carried by the shaft which member is provided with a spiral thread 31. A lug 32 supported from the member 26 engages this spiral thread, causing the shaft 21 and parts carried thereby torotate when the shaft is elevated or depressed. Means are provided for returning the shaft 31 and the parts 'carried thereby, which is here shown as a iiat s ring 40, supported by the member 26, to w ich lit is fastened by any suitable means','such as screws 41. Means are also provided for returning the shaft 31 bore 18 in the rotary member 13';v4

here shown as a ball-bearing sets.

tothe d' itioniffrom' which-it hs' been turned bythe members 30, 31"'an'd` 32, which means i's'here shown as a `spiral spring connected at one end to the shaft -and a other end to the member 26..

. The operation of the embodiment of my device illustrated in the drawing and above described is as follows: When the member 5 ,A

. the pressure vof the spring 50, the parts being the engagement of the piral 5o um 7 0 so arranged that the member 22 is rotated in l the same direction as the members 13, 15 and 16, to take advantage of the windage ofthe parts and the lesser frictional resistance offered when rotated in this direction. The weight of the member22, acting as a balance wheel,- prevents unnecessary vibration, and this, together with the spring 50, holds the parts steady, so that the indications shown by the scale will beaccurate and steady. When the speed decreases, the centrifugal force with which the` balls are movedv outwardly decreases, the spring-40, together with the weight of the parts supported by the balls force the balls inwardly and the parts are returned, so that they come back to normal when the shaft 6 is no longer rotated. i

.The scale 23 is made spiral because the member 22 is elevated at the same time that it is rotated. The higher the speed, the lower the scale must be upon the member 22 to be visible through the slot ordinarily provided in the casing for devices of this kind,

, in a manner well known and which need not be described here.

I have shown in the drawinga particular embodiment of my invention for the purpose of illustrating thesame. M invention is not limited to the details o this embodiment, or tothe form thereof, but admits of many variations from both.

Iclaimz l 41. In a speedometer, the combination of devices rotated by the apparatus, the speed of which is to be measured, a vertically movable member rotatable to indicate the speed and provided with a spiral scale, and means to transmit the movements of said devices to said member.

2. In a speedometer, the combination of devices adapted to be rotated by the apparatus, the'speed of which is to be measured,

means ,for transforming the rotary motion amamos of said devices into rectilinear motion, mechanism for indicating the speed including a vertically movable member provided with a spiral scale and apparatus operated by said means -for rotating said member.

In a speedometer, the combination of devices adapted to be rotated by the apparatus whose speed is to be measured, including a rotatable membeiga relatively massive member provided with a spiral scale for 1ndicating the speed of the apparatus Whose speed is to be measured and means including a cam controlled by said rotatable member for rotating said massive member 1n the same direction as the rotatable .member is rotated. Y

4. In a speedometer, the combination of a member, means for rotating said member at a speed proportional to the speed of the apparatus, the speed of which is to be measured, means controlled through centrifugal force for transforming the rotary motion of said member to rectilinear motion, mechanism for rotating said last named means and a relatively massive member rotated thereby in the sameV direction as the rotatable mem'- ber, said relatively massive member being provided with a scale for indicating the speed of the apparatus the speed of which is to be measured.

5. In a speedometer, the combination of a rotatable member adapted to' be rotated by the apparatus, the speed of which is to measured, rectilineally movable parts and means for moving said parts rectilineally and proportionally to the rate of rotation of the movable member, means including a cam for rotating one of said rectilineally movable parts in proportion to its rectilinear movement and speed indicating means operated by said rotated rectilineally movable member.

6. In a speedometer, the combination of rectilineally movable means, centrifugally controlled apparatus for' moving said means rectilineally in proportion to the speed of the apparatus, the speed of which is to be measured, mechanism for rotating said means in proportion to its rectilinear movement, and means for indicating the speed of said apparatus, including a relatively massive part carrying a scale rotated by said rectilineally movable means in proportion as it is rotated by said mechanism.

In a speedometer, the combination of a member driven by the apparatus, the speed of which is to be measured, a rotatable member rotated thereby, able means controlled by said rotatable member, means for moving said rectilineally movable means rectilineally in proportion to the speed of rotation of the rotatablev member, mechanism including a cam for rotating said rectlllneally movable means in proportlon to` the rectilinear movement lrectilineally and means for rectilineally movv thereof and means for indicating the rotation of said rectilineally movable means.

S. Ina speedometer,

apparatus', the speed of winch 1s to be measured, a rotatable member rotated by said driven member, rectilineally movable means including a'shaft and a cup provided with a scale, means controlled by the rotatable member for moving said shaft and cup in proportion to the speed of rotation for rotating said cup and shaft in proportion to the movement given it by said rotatable member controlled means, and means including a scale for indicating the rotation of the-cup.

9. In a speedometer a member driven apparatus Whose speed is to be measured,"afrotatable member operated by said driven member, rectilineally movable means including a shaft and a-cup carried thereby, mechanism controlled by the rotatable member for moving .said shaft and cup rectilineally in proportibn to the speed of rotation of the rotatable member, a cam and lug for rotating said shaft fnd cup in the direction of rotation of the rotatable member as said shaft and cup are moved indicating the amount of rotation imparted to the cup.

10: In a speedometer, the combination of a member adapted to be driven by the apparatus, the speed ofwhich is to be measured, a rotatablenember operated by said driven member, rectilineally movable means including a shaft and a cup, mechanism for moving the shaft and cup rectilineally in proportion to the speed of rotation of the rotatable member, a cam and lug for rotating said cup in the same direction as the rotation of the rotatable member and in proportion to the rectilinear movement imparted to the cup and shaft, and means including a spiral scale carried by the cup for indicating the amount of rotation imparted to the cup.

11. In a speedometer, a member driven by the of which is to be measured, a rotatable member operated by said driven member, rectilineally movable means including a relatively massive member carrying a spiral scale, mechanism for moving said relatively massive member rectilineally in proportion to the speed of rotation of the rotatable member, a cam and lug for imparting to the relatively massive member a rotation proportional to the rectilinear movement thereof, said relatively massive member being rotated in the same direction as the rotatable member.

the combination of speed is to be measured,

of the rotatable member, a cam ithe combination of the combination of r i a shaft adapted to tion as that taken by vided with a lurality of'channels, rectilineally movab e means, mechanism including centrifu allycontrolled balls in' said channels an "a :cup-shaped member normally Vengaging e' balls for vmoving said .rectilineallymovable .means as said lrota'- table 4member rotates, devices for imparting to the rectilineally-movable means'rotation n proiportion to therectilinear movement thereo and means for indicating the amount of rotation imparted to said -rectilineally movable means. yI f 13. In a speedometer, the combination of be driven by. the wheels of a1vehicle, a speedometer shaft, means whereby said speedometer shaft to rotate the same', a ro'- tatable member connectedA to said speedometer shaft and adapted to be rotated thereby, said rotatable member being provided.

-with a plurality of ball carrying channels substantially perpendicular -to the axis of rotation of the rotatable member, rectilineally movable means including a 4shaft and a .relatively massive cup, mechanism for moving saidmeans inl proportion to the rate of-'rotation of the 'rotatable member, said mechanism including balls in said channels and a cup-shaped member extending over the rotatable member and engaging the tops of the balls, a cam and lug for rotating said rectilineally movable means in proportion to the rectilinear movement imparted thereto and in the'same direction of rotathe rotatable member, said rectilineally movable cup being prodriven' shaft operates said- .vided with a spiral scale to .indicate the amount 'of'rotation imparted to said cup.

14. In a speedometer, the combination o a member drlven'by the apparatus, the speed of which is to be measured, rotatable means operated by said member, a .member provided -with a scale in juxtaposition to said rotatable means and means mcluding a cam to rotate said scale member in proportion to the rate of rotation of the rotatable member v and in the samedrection of rotation.

15. In a speedometer, the combination of a member .adapted to be driven by the apparatus, the speedy of which is to be measured, a rotatable member operated by said driven member, .speed indicating apparatus including a vertically movable cup-shaped member fitting over the rotatable member and means for 'rotating said cup-shaped -member in the same direction of rotation as the'rotatablemember and in proportion to the. rate of rotation thereof.'

16. 'In' a speedometer,-the combination of a member carrying a spiral scale, centrifugally controlled means for jmovmg said member vertically, and means including said centrifugally controlled means for. rotating said member.

In witness' whereof, I have aixed my sig- 1 nature in the presence of two Witnesses this 19th day of Dec., 1913.

' RAY H. MANsoN.

- Witnesses:

GEO. E. IloBEn'rs, RG. SANDS. 

